CPPI Urges Congress to Advance Importation to Aid Women's Access to Affordable Meds
Washington D.C. - Today the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation took aim at the disproportionate costs that American women face in accessing critical prescription medications. Women, due in part to greater healthcare utilization rates as well as their role as primary caregivers responsible for others’ medical costs, are often saddled with significantly higher healthcare costs than men—costs that are tied to the ever-increasing price of prescription drugs. It is no wonder that women therefore struggle more than men to adhere to prescriptions that are critical to their health.
“The high price of drugs in the U.S. disproportionally impacts women and they need relief now. Personal prescription importation is the only solution that can deliver direct patient and consumer savings immediately,” says Jack Pfeiffer Executive Director of the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation. “It is time for leaders in Congress to advance the Safe and Affordable Drugs From Canada Act and the Affordable and Safe Drug Importation Act. These bills would immediately expand access to the affordable critical daily medications Americans need.”
In 2019 NIH reported that 62 percent of U.S. women were prescribed medications compared to 52% of all men. Women are also projected to spend nearly a fifth of their lives taking prescribed medication. A newborn boy in 2019 could expect to take five or more drugs for 11.56 years (or 15% of his life), compared with 16.29 years (20% of her life) for a newborn girl in 2019.
The discrepancies in health solutions and economics in America mean that women and women-led families are at greater risk of missing prescribed medications. One recent study found that 52 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 49 have problems paying at least one medical bill. Many women with health insurance report experiencing limitations with their insurance in the past 12 months. One in five (21%) women with Medicaid say that their plan did not cover care they thought was covered, or paid less than expected.
Personal prescription importation offers women and all Americans the immediate savings they need in order to access and adhere to their prescriptions. CPPI price comparisons regularly show that the same brand-name prescription drugs in Canadian pharmacies offer 50-90% savings compared to discounted/coupon prices at leading U.S. pharmacies such as Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and Amazon. Americans who personally import their medications from licensed Canadian pharmacies report saving $5,000 a year on average.
The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act and the Affordable and Safe Drug Importation Act have long been championed by women in Congress including Senators Amy Klobuchar [D-MN], Tammy Baldwin [D-WI], Susan Collins [R-ME], Margaret Wood Hassan [D-NH], Jeanne Shaheen [D-NH], Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY], Tina Smith [D-MN], Debbie Stabenow, [D-MI], Elizabeth Warren [D-MA], and Representatives Janice Schakowsky [D-IL-9], Chellie Pingree [D-ME-1], Ilhan Omar [D-MN-5], Eleanor Holmes Norton [D-DC-At Large], and Cori Bush [D-MO-1]. These bills would expand American's personal and direct access to affordable prescription drugs.
“America’s leaders must expand access to lower drug prices to strengthen the health and economic security of women and their families,” urges Pfeiffer.